Blackboard AI (WIP 4)

“AI Design Assistant has taken a task which might have taken me a full day down to a few minutes. This has given me more time in the classroom.”

—Dr. Steven Montagu-Cairns, Associate Professor in Law,
University of Leeds

Market-leading AI features
for easier teaching and better learning

These AI capabilities are included as standard—adding learner engagement without extra costs.

Explore AI Conversation

Blackboard's AI Conversation tool allows instructors to test learners' depth and application of knowledge via an interactive conversation based on pedagogical best practices.

Explore AI Design Assistant

Blackboard leverages AI to inspire and streamline instructors' course creation process by providing recommendations for:

Explore Anthology Virtual Assistant (AVA)

Blackboard’s latest AI capabilities streamline interactions between instructors and learners, including with crucial feedback tasks.

Driving results for institutions

795+

global institutions

3.4M

learning tasks powered by Blackboard AI tools

96%

of instructors agree it saves them time

*As of September 2025

We work directly with institutions to develop our AI capabilities. Our AI Advisory Council, comprised of education leaders from across the globe, collaborated through focus groups, technical previews, and policy discussions to ensure all applications of AI in Blackboard are appropriate for education. The result is hundreds of satisfied institutions, whose instructors are enjoying the added efficiency and the extra time it allows them to invest in their students.

Read the white paper for more insights on institutional adoption, user behavior, and the outcomes it has driven for our institutional partners.

What the AI Design Assistant gives faculty is a wingman or a partner in developing content in a way that only another subject matter expert can. They can bounce ideas around with the AI Design Assistant—almost like having a graduate assistant—but the instructor is ultimately the one in charge.”

—Executive Director, Media Resources Center, Wichita State University

Advancing pedagogy

Blackboard’s exclusive AI Conversation provides an engaging learning task based on pedagogical best practices. The instructor sets the parameters of the conversation—the subject, AI persona, and conversation type—and maintains full control to review and grade the interaction between theAI and the learner. Across the world, institutions are leveraging the tool to provide practical tasks in a virtual setting, developing AI literacy and other employable skills.

It really helps our students who have gone through COVID and who live in a social media universe. They’re not always confident to participate in practical tasks live with their peers in the classroom, so having this safe space like the AI Conversation to practice beforehand makes a huge difference.”

—Dr. Celena Kusch, Executive Director, Center for Academic Innovation and Faculty Support, USC Upstate

1,200,000+ messages sent by students

100,000+ global student users

*As of September 2025

Customer insights and outcomes

Simplification through Insight By harnessing the full power of the Blackboard learning platform, including the AI Design Assistant to scale course development, UDLA has seen rapid online growth and improved student satisfaction.

Read the Case Study

Planning a Responsible Path to AI Two key institutions partnered with Anthology to develop and responsibly introduce AI innovations in EdTech.

Read the Case Study

The Fabulous Four of Modern Learning The University of Leeds, Anthology, Microsoft, and AI combined to help and inspire instructors.

Watch the Video

Setting the Standard By leveraging Blackboard’s AI Design Assistant, South Texas College improved the roles of instructors and instructional designers and achieved the prestigious QM Exemplary Course certification.

Read the Case Study

Streamlining and Inspiring Course Design Learn how Wichita State University is bringing AI innovation to instructors without the hassle or the cost.

Read the Case Study

Modernizing the Student Experience With mobile-first workflows and built-in accessibility, Blackboard helped USC Upstate prepare learners for the workforce.

Read the Case Study

See innovation in action: Product demos

Discover the AI Conversation tool

AI Conversation supports both a Socratic questioning activity and a role play, allowing the instructor to set a task that aligns with their learning objective.

Try for Free

Discover the Anthology Virtual Assistant

Deliver detailed, timely, and concise direction to students with AVA Assisted Feedback. Summarize and Re-write capabilities save instructors time while maintaining their tone and autonomy.

Try for Free

Dedicated to the responsible and ethical use of AI in education

Anthology is committed to the responsible use of AI within our technologies, and our AI Advisory Council—comprising our institutional partners from around the world—is helping us plan an ethical path forward.

All innovations highlighted on this page:

Must be enabled by the institution, in line with their own AI policies

Place the instructor in control of the task and all high-stakes workflows

Are powered by Microsoft and AWS

For more information on how Anthology delivers AI responsibly, review our Trustworthy AI Approach.